International Lottery Scams. Scammers outside the U.S. use the phone and mail to entice U.S. consumers to buy into high-stakes foreign lotteries. These lottery solicitations violate federal law, which prohibits the cross-border sale or purchase of lottery tickets by phone or mail. Toss those envelopes stuffed with promises of vast wealth into the recycle bin. Click here for more tips about identifying and avoiding lottery scams.